Aging even tougher for gays and lesbians
By Lisa Anderson, Chicago Tribune correspondent, New York, October 21, 2008
Getting old isn't easy for anyone. But aging poses particular problems for members of the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, community. Compared with heterosexual counterparts, many more of them are socially isolated, fear discrimination from health-care providers, live alone and don't have children or other close relatives to call upon for help.

Those were among the challenges addressed by the 4th National Conference on LGBT Aging, which drew more than 600 participants during its recent three-day run here... gerontologists and other specialists on LGBT aging at the conference said they expect this generation of LGBT elders — like Boomers generally — to demand treatment from care providers and residential programs that not only is better than that which prior generations received, but also addresses issues such as sexual orientation and sexual behavior among the elderly.

  Growing old gay
"Life Matters", ABC Radio National, 8 October 2008
Are you worried about getting older? Most of us don't like the thought of losing our independence and needing care as we age. But for the 11 per cent of Australians who aren't heterosexual, the prospect of ageing carries a deeper fear. Dr Catherine Barrett from Latrobe University has found that older gays and lesbians face discrimination and mistreatment from aged care providers who don't understand their needs. Even seniors who've long been 'out of the closet' say they fear the repercussions of disclosing their sexuality to their care workers.

  California protects gay seniors
By Rex Wockner Originally printed 10/09/2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Sept. 28 to help prevent anti-gay bias in senior-care facilities and nursing homes. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires licensed health care professionals who have constant interaction with seniors to attend a training program on preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Audio Interview).

  Gay elders' distinctive challenges get closer look
By David Crary– 5 Oct 2008, NEW YORK (AP)
Frank Carter was once a globe-trotting professional dancer; his world is smaller now. He battles multiple health problems, walks with a cane and rarely leaves his compact Manhattan apartment. As an 86-year-old gay man, with no family nearby and many acquaintances long since dead, he'd seem a likely prospect for isolation. Instead, he has kindled a deep, five-year friendship with Gigi Stoll, a fashion model-turned-photographer half his age. Stoll helps Carter with medical arrangements, writes to him when she travels overseas, and sat with him for six hours during his most recent hospitalization. "The other guys in the hospital, no one was coming in to see them," Carter said. "To get that gift, you have to be lucky." It's not just luck. Stoll came into his life though a program that matches infirm gays and lesbians with volunteers who commit to making weekly visits.

  Conundrums: Time is a thief
By SJordan & Ove Overmyer, Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, August 4th, 2008
You don’t have to be a social scientist to know that, as baby boomers go grey in ever-increasing numbers, so does the population of older gay and lesbian individuals. Depending on your sources, estimates range from 1.75 to 3.5 million older gay men and lesbians living in the United States. To put these figures in perspective, this is approximately equal to, or two times greater than, the number of older adults living in a nursing home setting. This population has not received the attention it deserves. Additionally, very few programs and services are provided to meet the special needs of these older lgbt Americans.

Elderly gay people living in nursing homes or assisted-living centers who receive home care increasingly report that they have been disrespected, shunned or mistreated in ways that range from hurtful to deadly, even leading some to commit suicide. Some have seen their partners and friends insulted or isolated. Others live in fear of the day when they are dependent on strangers for the most personal care. You might ask yourself, where did the time go? That dread alone can be damaging, physically and emotionally, say geriatric doctors, psychiatrists and social workers.

I heard the story of a doctor who expressed disgust after discovering his elderly patient was gay. He refused to treat him and suggested he find another doctor. Then there was the story about a gay man who had to carry his ailing partner into the washroom of an old folks home so the two could steal a hug away from the critical eyes of others. That same elder’s caregiver tried to impose her religious beliefs to “rid” him of his “demons”.

  Nonprofit organization raises awareness for prostate cancer
By Randy Hope, Associate Editor GayLesbian Times, Published Thursday, 25-Sep-2008 in issue 1083
Among gay men and for most GLBT cancer patients, the subject of prostate cancer is complicated by the intersecting stigma of both cancer and homosexuality. “Most people do not want to talk about prostate cancer and most straight people do not want to talk about homosexuality,” said Michael Lamont, a prostate cancer survivor and the president of Prostate Support Advocates (PSA), Inc. Lamont said it is not surprising the overwhelming majority of personal and professional publications about prostate cancer are written by, for and about heterosexual men and their female partners. “If prostate cancer, in general, is off most people’s radar screen, then gay men with prostate cancer are a truly invisible species,” said the 51-year-old City Heights resident.

  ‘Invisible And Overlooked’
By Jessica Bennett, Newsweek, Sep 18, 2008
A growing population of lesbian and gay senior citizens seeks recognition for their unique needs and challenges. Gay seniors confront unique challenges: they're twice as likely as straights to live alone, and 10 times less likely to have a caretaker should they fall ill. Older gay men are at high risk for HIV, and many suffer the psychological effects of losing friends to the AIDS crisis. (See our report on HIV and aging.) Many face discrimination in medical and social services, and on top of it all, they're less likely to have health insurance: one survey, by the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law, at UCLA, estimates that gay seniors are half as likely to have coverage as their straight counterparts.

  ‘A Lot of Unknowns’
By Jessica Bennett, Newsweek, Sep 18, 2008
Medical advances are helping many HIV patients live into old age. But that blessing presents its own unique set of tribulations. What doctors do know is that despite infection rates that remain level, people over 50 now make up the fastest-growing segment of those living with HIV.... between 1990 and 2005, local Department of Health studies show that the number of AIDS cases in people over 50 shot up by more than 700 percent—today, 35 percent of people with HIV are aged 50 and older, and 70 percent are over 40, according to the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA). A large portion of those, say advocates, are gay men. Some of these older patients are newly infected, while most are long-term survivors.

  Gay seniors shunned by carers
By: Friday, 19 September 2008 La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
La Trobe University researcher Dr Catherine Barrett and Melbourne-based gay rights groups have gone public with a shocking report on the social health landscape for gay and other non-heterosexual seniors in Victoria. The researchers have published their initial findings from a qualitative study of the experiences of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender seniors receiving aged care services in Victoria It reveals the hidden terror confronting gay baby-boomers and other older seniors who are not sexually mainstream – the prospect of confinement to the darkest closet of their lives: old age in Australia in the 21st century.

  LGBT Seniors Invade Bus Shelters, Print Ads, Subways
By: Gabrielle Giroday Updated: September 11
"I have never seen an ad campaign targeted to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual (LGBT) senior citizens. It's a miserably underserved demographic. Under the slogan "Because there is no expiration date on a full, active life," Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) ferreted them out for an ad campaign. Warm, approachable images of them -- as actors! families! Dianic priestesses! magicians! -- will be used on subway metro cards, in print ads, in phone kiosks, and on bus shelters. "The LGBT community - like the general population - has a growing segment of aging adults, and this campaign gives voice to the seniors who have a full life [...] enhanced by being a SAGE member," said SAGE executive director Michael Adams."